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1976 Big Thompson River flood

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1976 Big Thompson River flood
A memorial containing a list of people killed in the flood
CauseHeavy rains
Meteorological history
DurationJuly 31, 1976
Flood
Overall effects
Fatalities144
Injuries>250
Missing5
Damage<$150 million (2016 USD)
Areas affectedBig Thompson River, north central Colorado
Houses destroyed418

On July 31, 1976, heavy rainfall caused the Big Thompson River in Colorado to crest, causing at least 144 deaths, more than 250 injuries, and at least 5 others to be missing. The crest was caused by a stalled thunderstorm complex that produced rainfall totals of 12–14 inches (300–360 mm) near Estes Park, Colorado, including 7.5 inches (190 mm) of rain which fell in one hour. After cresting at 30 feet (9.1 m), widespread damage and flooding occurred along the river, with the damage totaling almost $150 million (2016 USD). The flood is considered one of the deadliest floods in the state's history.

Background

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The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 78 miles (126 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado.[1] Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the river flows into Lake Estes in the town of Estes Park and then through Big Thompson Canyon.[2]

Before the floods, 600 people lived at the Big Thompson Canyon,[3] and between 2,500 and 3,500 people were also at the Big Thompson Canyon to celebrate 100 years after Colorado's statehood that would take place several hours later on August 1.[4][5]

Meteorological synopsis

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On July 31, a thunderstorm complex developed alongside the Front Range of the southern Rocky Mountains, near Estes Park, Colorado.[5][6][7] The development was caused by a number of meteorological factors, including a shortwave trough, a polar front that moved across southeastern Colorado with the main polar airmass northeast of the Front Range, and moisture and unstable air behind a cold front extending across the Big Thompson Valley.[6] Upper-atmospheric light winds caused the thunderstorm complex to stay stationary, which produced heavy rainfall across portions of the Big Thompson Canyon, including up to 7.5 inches (190 mm) of rain falling in one hour.[5][8] Over four hours near Estes Park, 12–14 inches (300–360 mm) of rain fell, causing the Big Thompson River to overflow its banks and triggering a flood crest that moved through the river and the Big Thompson Canyon.[9][10][11] The flood crest moved at an average speed of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and crested at 30 feet (9.1 m).[10][12] A flash flood warning was issued at 23:00 CDT (5:00 UTC), but the timing of this was criticized because it was issued several hours after the floods began.[13]

Impact and aftermath

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A portion of U.S. Route 34 was washed out by floodwaters,[14] sustaining significant damage as visibility on the highway dropped to zero miles.[15][16] The flood crest impacted most of Cedar Cove, Drake, and Midway, and causing extensive damage to buildings in Glen Haven.[12] The floods caused more than $40 million in damage in 1976 USD, equivalent to nearly $150 million in 2016 USD,[11][17] including 418 homes, more than 400 vehicles, and 152 businesses being destroyed, along with a further 138 buildings damaged.[18][13] The flood swept people as far east as Interstate 25 and areas 25 miles (40 km) away.[19] Mudslides caused by heavy rainfall also closed Poudre Canyon.[20] The flood is considered one of the deadliest floods in the history of Colorado, causing at least 144 deaths and 250 injuries, along with at least 5 missing.[21][22][23]

On August 1, over 800 people were evacuated from flood-impacted areas via helicopter,[24] and were taken to a high school in Loveland, Colorado that was established as a rescue center by the American Red Cross.[25] U.S. Route 34 was reopened 86 days after it was closed after portions of the highway were washed out.[26] United States President Gerald Ford designated Larimer County, Colorado a disaster area.[27] For 25 years after the flood, until 2001, a ceremony was held annually to remember the disaster.[28][29] It was held at a memorial constructed off U.S. Route 34, several miles from Drake, Colorado, containing a list of people killed during the flood; this memorial was constructed in 1978, two years after the tragedy.[30]

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The Colorado country music singer Chuck Pyle wrote a song titled "Here Comes the Water" celebrating the actions of Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Willis Hugh Purdy who raced the flood down the canyon warning residents.[31][32] On October 2, 2016, an episode of Colorado Experience premiered on PBS regarding the disaster.[33][34]

References

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  1. ^ Taylor, Jack (May 30, 2018). "Remembering The Big Thompson Canyon Flood". KEKB (FM). Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  2. ^ "Rocky Mountain National Park: Geologic Resource Evaluation Report" (PDF). National Park Service. pp. 5–6. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  3. ^ Gruntfest, Eve C. (August 1977). "What people did during the Big Thompson flood" (PDF). Institute of Behavioral Science University of Colorado. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2024-01-20 – via hazards.colorado.edu.
  4. ^ Whitley, Morgan (August 1, 2023). "Photos: 47 years ago, 144 died in one of Colorado's deadliest natural disasters". KDVR. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Floods in Colorado". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Caracena, Fernando; Chappell, Charles F.; Hoxit, L. Ray; Maddox, Robert A. (January 1979). "Mesoanalysis of the Big Thompson Storm" (PDF). NOAA. 107 (1): 1. Bibcode:1979MWRv..107....1C. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1979)107<0001:MOTBTS>2.0.CO;2. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "Colorado Remembers Victims 39 Years After Big Thompson Flood". CBS Colorado. July 31, 2015. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  8. ^ Jarrett, R. D.; Vandas, S. J. (July 2006). "1976 Big Thompson Flood, Colorado". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  9. ^ Crow & Albright 2021, p. 35.
  10. ^ a b McLain, Jerald F.; Shroba, R. R. (1979). "Storm and flood of July 31-August 1, 1976, in the Big Thompson River and Cache la Poudre River basins, Larimer and Weld Counties, Colorado". United States Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/pp1115AB. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Persons, David (July 29, 2016). "Special report: Memories of '76 flood haven't dimmed for many". Estes Park Trail-Gazette. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Meissner, John (February 24, 2021). "100 YEARS MAGAZINE: 1976, 1982 floods wreaked havoc on Estes Park". Estes Park Trail-Gazette. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Garrison, Robert (July 31, 2022). "Remembering the 1976 Big Thompson Canyon flood". KMGH. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Anastasio, Jeff (October 9, 2023). "How the historic Big Thompson Canyon flood of 1976 unfolded on Denver7 News". KMGH. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  15. ^ "Highway 34 To Reopen As Scheduled". CBS Colorado. March 21, 2017. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Vendegna, Michelle (August 1, 2016). "40 years after Big Thompson Flood: Memories remain decades after tragedy". The Denver Post. Loveland Reporter-Herald. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  17. ^ Pohl, Jason (August 6, 2016). "40 years later: Scores killed in Big Thompson Flood". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  18. ^ Spears, Chris (July 29, 2016). "Sunday Marks 40th Anniversary Of Big Thompson Flood". CBS Colorado. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  19. ^ Whaley, Monte (July 29, 2006). "Big Thompson Flood | 30 years later". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  20. ^ Seelmeyer, John (August 2, 1976). "Mudslides close Poudre Canyon". Greeley Daily Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  21. ^ "Remembering Big Thompson flood, 39 years later". KFMB-TV. July 29, 2015. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Sallinger, Marc (August 10, 2023). "One of Colorado's deadliest disasters was 47 years ago". KUSA. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  23. ^ McKee, Spencer (July 2, 2021). "Remembering the Big Thompson Canyon flood, Colorado's deadliest natural disaster". Out There Colorado. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  24. ^ Jarrett, Robert D.; Costa, John E. (2006). "1976 Big Thompson Flood, Colorado—Thirty Years Later". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  25. ^ Lichtenstein, Grace (August 2, 1976). "65 Killed as Rains Flood Colorado Recreation Area". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  26. ^ Mathews, Zane (March 21, 2023). "Remembering Colorado's Devastating Big Thompson Flood 1976". KBKL. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  27. ^ "Big Thompson Flood Remembered 38 Years Later". CBS Colorado. July 31, 2014. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  28. ^ Vendegna, Michelle (August 1, 2017). "Community gathers to remember 1976 Big Thompson flood". Loveland Reporter-Herald. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  29. ^ McKee, Spencer (July 3, 2021). "Remembering the Big Thompson Canyon flood". Colorado Springs Gazette. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  30. ^ De Leon, Luis (July 31, 2021). "Remembering the Big Thompson Canyon Flood, 45 years later". KUSA. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  31. ^ Dukakis, Andrea (29 July 2016). "How A Chuck Pyle Song Captured The Terror Of Big Thompson's Floodwaters". Colorado Public Radio. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  32. ^ Pohl, Jason (29 July 2016). "40 years later: Scores killed in Big Thompson Flood". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  33. ^ Colorado Experience | Big Thompson Flood | Season 4 | Episode 1 | PBS, archived from the original on 2024-01-18, retrieved 2024-01-18
  34. ^ "CSU Graduate Will Wright appears on "Colorado Experience: Big Thompson Flood"". Colorado State University. October 11, 2016. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.

Sources

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